Eating Crow: Paul Konerko

[Balta1701]

Just to chime in...that shot Konerko hit yesterday...the moment I saw the swing my immediate statement out loud was "Mercy, that ball will never land".

 

Wow, did he kill that one.

[fathom]

If you bring back PK, you almost have to trade Contreras for money purposes. I'd like to see KW concentrate on signing PK, Garland, and AJP to multi-year deals.

[RockRaines]

If you bring back PK, you almost have to trade Contreras for money purposes.  I'd like to see KW concentrate on signing PK, Garland, and AJP to multi-year deals.

dont forget though, they wont be paying for Frank's large contract.

[Balta1701]

you are correct, by 6, I think I got caught up in who is the better overall player, but I still would rather have Mora.

 

Mora does have a higher ZR and RF as well.

Mora is also making roughly 9.5 times Crede's salary this year. Just a thought.

[Kalapse]

dont forget though, they wont be paying for Frank's large contract.

That's $4.5M off the books, assuming the Sox don't give him a new short term deal.

[LVSoxFan]

I've heard plenty of Paulie-bashing all season; how he's overpaid, a clubhouse bad influence, etc.

 

But I have to give the man props for stepping up when we head into the stretch; he certainly has been killing lately.

 

And his homers are something to watch. If I'm not mistaken, he also hit a clutch oppposite-field single last night too. Way ta go.

 

Will he be around after this season? I have no idea.

[Balta1701]

dont forget though, they wont be paying for Frank's large contract.

I think the real key question this offseason is how much more salary Reinsdorf gives KW to play with after this season and the associated attendence surge, ratings blip upwards, and (hopefully) extra sellout games in the playoffs. Everything else depends on that. We have several guys who will have salaries going up from this year - Garland, AJ, probably Everett, Crede...we will be taking Thomas and maybe a relief pitcher or two off the lineup and saving a couple there...the big question is how much Reinsdorf is willing to spend (and what sort of deal the Hurt might be willing to make to see his 16th season on the south side)

[illinilaw08]

I think the real key question this offseason is how much more salary Reinsdorf gives KW to play with after this season and the associated attendence surge, ratings blip upwards, and (hopefully) extra sellout games in the playoffs.  Everything else depends on that.  We have several guys who will have salaries going up from this year - Garland, AJ, probably Everett, Crede...we will be taking Thomas and maybe a relief pitcher or two off the lineup and saving a couple there...the big question is how much Reinsdorf is willing to spend (and what sort of deal the Hurt might be willing to make to see his 16th season on the south side)

 

Exactly. With the increase in attendance this year displaying a direct correlation between winning and overall revenue, I can see Reinsdorf increasing the payroll next year to keep the team in contention.

[bjm676]

I've always been a fan of Konerko, I don't think I've bashed him too much here. If he keeps it up, we might just have that feared hitter in the playoffs.

As for next year, it is a certainty that one of the Cubans will sent out to put McCarthy into the rotation. That saves some money. I don't see Everett coming back and Thomas may come back with a reduced contract. If pigs fly and Jerry opens his wallet, we'll be seeing Paulie back next year. Otherwise, there are no other options. Ross Gload's days are numbered here. I don't know how soon Rogowski will ever behere, and I just don't see Overbay coming without the Brewers asking for a lot in return.

[RockRaines]

Dont forget that Anderson is probably up for good, and there are several players that may make a case to make the team next year. There are several question marks that need to be answered.

[Balta1701]

Exactly.  With the increase in attendance this year displaying a direct correlation between winning and overall revenue, I can see Reinsdorf increasing the payroll next year to keep the team in contention.

That's what I'm hoping for...it really wouldn't take a huge salary increase to keep this team together aside from signing Garland to a 3 year deal for what he's really worth...Konerko's salary will probably go up by $3 million, Everett's will go up by $1 million, AJ's will go up by a few million, Thomas's will go down by at most $5 million...we may very well clear some salary room from our starting rotation by moving the kid into it...so there needs to be a roughly $5-10 million increase in salary to hold everything together if Frank does leave, according to my best guesses.

[kapkomet]

That's what I'm hoping for...it really wouldn't take a huge salary increase to keep this team together aside from signing Garland to a 3 year deal for what he's really worth...Konerko's salary will probably go up by $3 million, Everett's will go up by $1 million, AJ's will go up by a few million, Thomas's will go down by at most $5 million...we may very well clear some salary room from our starting rotation by moving the kid into it...so there needs to be a roughly $5-10 million increase in salary to hold everything together if Frank does leave, according to my best guesses.

And I would certainly think that payroll would increase by $5 to $10 million next year overall.

 

We still need a solid bat, though.

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

Ick! Eating crow? They don't have much meat on them. Besides, those birds are scavengers!

[Milkman delivers]

I think another big factor will be how PK performs in the playoffs. If he pulls (pun intended) a 2000 vs. Mariners, then that would make a decision easier.

[Rowand44]

Thanks a lot.

I think most overrate our players, especially prospects, a lot.

No, people give up on our prospects way to damn quick. Bmac had 5 starts, 3 of which sucked and 2 of which were fine and people were ready to give up on him, kind of ridiculous. Anyways, I bashed the hell out of Paul in the first half, he's been absolutely fantastic the 2nd half of the season, I'm eating crow all day long because of his performance. I went from not wanting him back no matter what to definitely wanting him back next season, hopefully just at a good price.

[SnB]

I'm honestly believing that our postseason results will all go by how paulie performs.

If he's on (like he has been lately), our team actually has a threat in the lineup.

 

If his swing is off, like we know it can be, the lineup is brutal.

 

It'll be an interesting october.

[Rowand44]

I'm honestly believing that our postseason results will all go by how paulie performs.

If he's on (like he has been lately), our team actually has a threat in the lineup.

 

If his swing is off, like we know it can be, the lineup is brutal.

 

It'll be an interesting october.

It's been on the whole 2nd half, so hopefully that'll continue. Another guy that completely changes this lineup is Juan Uribe, if he's hot he can hit any pitcher on any team.

[witesoxfan]

I'm honestly believing that our postseason results will all go by how paulie performs.

If he's on (like he has been lately), our team actually has a threat in the lineup.

 

If his swing is off, like we know it can be, the lineup is brutal.

 

It'll be an interesting october.

 

Disagree completely.

 

If Podsednik is getting on base, anybody can drive him in...be it Goochi, PK, Everett, Dye...and it is a run. Podsednik getting on at a .400-.450 clip would almost assure the offense of being top notch throughout the playoffs.

 

Dye has shown that he can get hot and carry a team for a month too. Nothing suggests to me that if PK were cold as hell, and Dye heated up, that our offense would still be dead.

 

AJP can come up with many a clutch hit, and can be a solid .310-.320 hitter when he is right too. Add some of his new found power to that, and you have probably an .850 OPS guy batting 6th or 7th in your lineup.

 

Uribe, when on, can carry a team too. For about the past, what, 10 games, Uribe has been "on". He stays "on", and not only is he driving in runs, but he's allowing Podsednik to even drive in some runs, along with setting up Goochi and PK as well.

 

If PK decides to go back into pull everything mode...meh, we'll live. If everyone decides to go back into pull everything mode, that is when we are in trouble.

[Balta1701]

If Podsednik is getting on base, anybody can drive him in...be it Goochi, PK, Everett, Dye...and it is a run.  Podsednik getting on at a .400-.450 clip would almost assure the offense of being top notch throughout the playoffs.

While he was hurt for a time...Podsednik's OBP this year is .350. His career OBP is .344. He has had 2 months in his career with an OBP over .400...none since 2003 (although he's at .429 for September.

 

AJP can come up with many a clutch hit, and can be a solid .310-.320 hitter when he is right too.  Add some of his new found power to that, and you have probably an .850 OPS guy batting 6th or 7th in your lineup.

You're assuming that AJP can still be a solid .300 hitter and hit for power at the same time...his power numbers have gone up the last 2 years, but his batting average has hovered in the .270-.280 range. That may be the kind of hitter he is now. During no season in his career has he hit for a ton of power and an above .300 average at the same time.

[RockRaines]

While he was hurt for a time...Podsednik's OBP this year is .350.  His career OBP is .344.  He has had 2 months in his career with an OBP over .400...none since 2003 (although he's at .429 for September.

You're assuming that AJP can still be a solid .300 hitter and hit for power at the same time...his power numbers have gone up the last 2 years, but his batting average has hovered in the .270-.280 range.  That may be the kind of hitter he is now.  During no season in his career has he hit for a ton of power and an above .300 average at the same time.

I odnt know about you guys, but I like AJ as the hitter he used to be

[WHarris1]

I will gladly eat a whole assload of crow.

 

I ripped Konerko a lot this year and it was well deserved at the beginning but he had turned it around, period.

 

PAUL KONERKO!

[witesoxfan]

While he was hurt for a time...Podsednik's OBP this year is .350.  His career OBP is .344.  He has had 2 months in his career with an OBP over .400...none since 2003 (although he's at .429 for September.

You're assuming that AJP can still be a solid .300 hitter and hit for power at the same time...his power numbers have gone up the last 2 years, but his batting average has hovered in the .270-.280 range.  That may be the kind of hitter he is now.  During no season in his career has he hit for a ton of power and an above .300 average at the same time.

 

 

True and true.

 

Podsednik getting on at .400-.450 is more of guaranteeing our offense being good. Podsednik getting on at .375-.400ish will almost guarantee a good offensive output.

 

AJP would be able to carry an offense with the numbers I gave him. I doubt he puts those up...those were more of a hypothetical thing. It will either be the average, or the power...or if lucky, a combination of the two of them(so instead of .310 10 .775, or .265 20 .775, he puts up about .280 15 .775...obviously, not that many homers in the playofs, but something at that pace).

 

Rowand is another guy that can get hot too, and while he may not be able to carry a team, he can most definately be a very solid player in the middle or lower part of a lineup.

[bighurt2719]

We've had plenty of prospects that were supposed to be something special, and they never panned out.  Was Jenks in our minor league system for even a season?  Cotts?

Plenty of our players get overrated on this board, but you can make the argument that enough of us underrate them, too.  But some here think that Rowand is the greatest CF in baseball, or that Crede is one of the better 3B's in baseball and that his glove is second to none.

 

yeah, we should revive and re-sign herbert perry.